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Thefoodservice (US English) orcatering (British and Commonwealth English)industry includes thebusinesses,institutions, andcompanies which prepare meals outside the home.[1] It includesrestaurants,grocery stores, school and hospitalcafeterias,catering operations, and many other formats.[1]
Suppliers to foodservice operators arefoodservice distributors, who provide small wares (kitchen utensils) and foods. Some companies manufacture products in bothconsumer and food service versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized packages with elaborate label design forretail sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger industrial size and often lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version.[citation needed]
Thefood system, including food service and food retailing supplied $1.24 trillion worth of food in 2010 in the US, $594 billion of which was supplied by food service facilities, defined by theUSDA as any place which prepares food for immediate consumption on site, including locations that are not primarily engaged in dispensing meals such as recreational facilities and retail stores.[2] Full-service andfast food restaurants account for 77% of all food service sales, with full-service restaurants accounting for just slightly more than fast food in 2010.[2] The shifts in the market shares between fast food and full-service restaurants to market demand changes the offerings of both foods and services of both types of restaurants.[2]
According to theNational Restaurant Association a growing trend among US consumers for the foodservice industry is global cuisine with 66% of US consumers eating more widely in 2015 than in 2010, 80% of consumers eating 'ethnic' cuisines at least once a month, and 29% trying a new 'ethnic' cuisine within the last year.[3][4]
TheFoodservice distributor market size is, as of 2015, $231 billion in the US; the national broadline market is controlled byUS Foods andSysco which combined have a 60-70% share of the market and were blocked from merging by the FTC for reasons of market power.[5]
Foodservice foods tends to be, on average, higher incalories and lower in keynutrients than foods prepared at home.[6] Many restaurants, includingfast food, have added more salads and fruit offerings and either by choice or in response to local legislation provided nutrition labeling.[6]
In the US, theFDA is moving towards establishing uniform guidelines for fast food and restaurant labeling, its proposed rules were published in 2011 and final regulations published on 1 December 2014 which supersede State and local menu-labeling provisions, going into effect 1 December 2015.[6][7] Research has shown that the new labels may influenceconsumer choices, but primarily if it provides unexpected information and that health-conscious consumers are resistant to changing behaviors based on menu labeling[7] Fast food restaurants are expected by theERS to do better under the new menu labeling than full-service restaurants as full-service restaurants tend to offer much more calorie-dense foods, with 50% of fast food meals being between 400 and 800 calories and less than 20% above 1000 calories, in contrast, full-service restaurants 20% of meals are above 1,400 calories.[7] When consumers are aware of the calorie counts at full-service restaurants 20% choose lower calorie options and consumers also reduce their calorie intake over the rest of the day.[7]
Eating one meal away from home each week translates to 2 extra pounds each year or a daily increase of 134 calories and a decrease in diet quality by 2 points on theHealthy Eating Index.[8]
In addition; the likelihood of contracting afood-borne illness (such astyphoid andhepatitis B, or diseases caused byE. coli,H. pylori,Listeria,Salmonella, andnorovirus) is greatly increased due to food not being kept below 40 °F (4 °C) or cooked to a temperature of higher than 160 °F (71 °C), not washing hands for at least 20 seconds for food handlers or not washing contaminated cutting boards and other kitchen tools in hot water.[citation needed]
Counter service is food ordered by the customer at the counter and either picked up at the counter by the customer or delivered to the table by restaurant staff. It is common infast food restaurants in the United States, and inpubs andbars in theUnited Kingdom (see:Table meal).
Table service is food ordered by the customer at the table and served to the customer's table by waiters and waitresses, also known as "servers". Table service is common in most restaurants. With table service, the customer generally pays at the end of a meal. Various methods of table service can be provided, such assilver service.
The provision of safe food for foodservice specifies the requirements for the design, implementation, and maintenance of prerequisite programmes (PRPs) to assist in controlling hazards tofood safety incatering. Atechnical specification is provided as aninternational standard, ISO/TS 22002-2:2013 Prerequisite programmes on food safety — Part 2: Catering. Thistechnical specification is part of theISO 22000 family of standards. The scope includes catering, air catering, railway catering, banquets, among others, in central and satellite units, school and industry dining rooms, hospitals and healthcare facilities, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, food services, and food stores.[9]